Two on Two: Colds and Cashews

We've had quite an eventful couple weeks over here. Both kids got a cold and not just any cold, but one that lingers for weeks and leaves one kid with Croup.

So it started with a cold. Both kids had fevers for days, a cough, and horse voices, which was actually the cutest thing I've ever heard. Most nights we'd end up with one or both kids tossing and turning in our bed resulting in me getting kicked out of my own bed. So, I moved upstairs with Audrey, while Wes stayed with Finny. It was pretty miserable.

After having been cooped up in our house for a few days, eating nothing but Popsicles, smoothies, and toast, I was desperate to get out. So, I decided to take the kids over to my moms. At this point they were feeling better, but still had a raspy voice and cough. They were running around tearing apart my mom's house when my mom stepped out to pick us up some lunch. Finny was rummaging through the cupboard when he saw the trailmix. Usually there's M & Ms in there that he picks out, however this time there were cashews. He put a cashew in his mouth and began to chew. Instantly he spit it out and his face turned red and began to swell. His breathing was labored and he kept rubbing his eyes. He kept saying "nap, nap nap," and it wasn't even close to nap time. My mom got home, we left Audrey with my dad, and took Finny to the ER. He had never acted like this, and apparently had never had cashews before.

In the car ride over, his neck was swollen, he was having a hard time breathing, and his eyes were little slits because he had rubbed them so much. As soon as we got to the ER, they noticed his respiratory issues and got him in quick. We didn't have to wait at all, even though there was a room full of people waiting. At this point things got overwhelming. They had us undress him, he was crying and trying to breathe, and there was a room full of nurses and doctors. They gave him a breathing treatment, which is almost impossible for a 2 year old to do. He didn't want anything on his face, or in front of his face. Then the IV came. I don't know if this was more traumatic for him, or me. They stuck his little arm, he wailed, I wailed, he tried to knock the IV out of his arm, and the nurses freaked a little. They were actually pretty good. They got it in the first shot, despite Finny trying to pull it out. They gave him steriods, Benedryl, and Epinephrine. As soon as the Benedryl hit him, he was out. His breathing was so loud, the nurses could hear him from down the hall.

Wes left work early and came down, and my mom was released to go help with Audrey. (I heart you mom) They had to take X-Rays of his throat to see if he had Croup and he was passed out with a tube of cold mist blowing in his face for the next few hours. Basically, it was a humidifier and it was used to help the inflammation in his throat go down.

After a few hours of listening to the hypochondriac in the next bed, and a quick trip to the cafeteria (I never got my lunch, and Wes said the only snack he had was a bag of cashews. Too soon. ) the doctor came to tell us that if his breathing didn't get better they might have to keep him overnight. Wes and I did rock, paper, scissors, and I won. She came back in after another hour or so and said he'd be fine to leave. They aren't sure if this reaction was due to the cashew, or if it was his Croup, but they basically treat it the same anyway.

I know it had something to do with that darn cashew, and if anyone gives my sweet little Finny a cashew they are dead. I've been traumatized. Also, I blame Wes for this. He's made such a big deal about how fake peanut allergies are. . . nut allergies are real my friend. Don't give him a cashew!

That night we ate pizza, per Finny's request, and finally got a good night's rest. So grateful for fast-acting doctors and good nurses. We will have to do some allergy testing, but until then NO CASHEWS!